Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, said that the Catholic Church became so significant after the Nigeria Civil War because of the roles played by early bishops.
He said this while eulogizing Emeritus Archbishop of Benin, Archbishop Patrick Ekpu at his 50th Episcopal anniversary and 90th birthday celebration at St. Paul Catholic Church in Benin City.
According to him “When Cardinal Onaiyekan was presenting his reading, it struck me that the generation of Nigerian patriots, before the civil war began, were called to do the service of God and were accelerated to become bishops of the Catholic Church.
“Those pioneers, 50 years on, have changed the face of the church in Nigeria. We still spend time to understand the impacts and implications of their lives.
“For us in Edo State, the role of the Catholic church became prominent and significant, particularly after the civil war, because of the diligent work our father commenced as bishop of this diocese”.
Obaseki said as a priest, Ekpu has risen to the pinnacle of his episcopal, “he has seen it all. And that for us in Edo, we will continue to cherish his experiences.”
The governor said he spent his early years as a priest in rural communities around Edo State, understanding the culture of the people and fostering communal bonds.
Obaseki added that in that process, he (Ekpu) brought the church “very close to our people, and created an awareness where our people, who are regarded as fetish and pagans now able to understand Christianity and moved closer to God.
He said Ekpu and his other colleagues bridged that cultural difference. The bond which he created led to the growth of the Catholic Church and this has been sustained by the subsequent archbishops of our state.
He noted that as he marks the golden jubilee of his episcopal anniversary, the state celebrates the huge contributions he has made to the development of the society, Edo State and Nigeria.
In his homily, John Onaiyekan, Emeritus, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, said it is God who calls and man’s duty is to answer with faith noting that Abraham, Matthew, and other apostles in the Bible heard the call and they obeyed just like the Emeritus Archbishop of Benin, Archbishop Patrick Ekpu did 50 years ago.
He maintained that God’s call is always for a purpose and He didn’t make a mistake in calling Patrick Ekpu.
He ended his homily by quoting from the book of 2 Timothy 4:7-8 which says “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing”
Earlier, Archbishop of Benin Diocese, Austin Akubeze, said the Archbishop Emeritus provided him with the needed support to succeed.
He said he provided him with the shoulder to lean on when he needed him the most.